Fire burns hundreds of acres

Fire contained in Sumter County by Monday afternoon

A forest fire burns off of U.S. Highway 17 north of York on Monday afternoon.

Staff photo | Dusty Compton

By Jason Morton Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 21, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.

State firefighters battled for almost four hours Monday to contain a forest fire that raged across hundreds of acres in Sumter County, the Alabama Forestry Commission said.

Coleen Vansant, spokeswoman for the agency, said the fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. Monday and within an hour had spread to at least 400 acres. Officials are still investigating the possible cause.

As of 2:45 p.m., it had grown to encompass an estimated 600 acres between the town of York and the Boyd community along Alabama Highway 17.

“We do know that, at the time, it was not threatening any structures," Vansant said. “Evidently the fire had been burning for a while but we weren’t notified until later in the day."

Seven of the forestry commission’s bulldozers were dispatched from Hale, Sumter, Pickens, Greene and Choctaw counties and had contained the blaze with a firebreak by 5 p.m., Vansant said.

The fire was expected to burn throughout the night, with forestry commission teams monitoring the firebreaks to ensure the fire does not spread. Firefighters intended to allow the fire to burn itself out.

Officials are concerned, however, with the land’s dry conditions, which could allow the fire to spread underground and circumvent the firebreaks.

“The ground is so dry that it will get in a root system, burn the roots underground and come up on the other side of the fire break," Vansant said.

She also said drivers need to look for hazardous traffic conditions caused by smoke blowing across Highway 17 and Interstate 20/59 near the Alabama/Mississippi state line.

“A fire that size is going to put up a lot of smoke, especially as dry as it is," she said.

Highway 17 in Sumter County had not been closed by 5 p.m., but it was unclear whether traffic was being diverted onto any surrounding roads. Sheriff Johnny L. Hatter was not in the office and no one else in the department was authorized to give information.

Alabama State Troopers are monitoring the situation along the interstate and will begin traffic control measures should the smoke become too thick, state officials said.

No rain is expected in West Alabama anytime soon, but a light wind was predicted until at least Tuesday night, which could help fire fighters in their efforts to suppress the fire.

Michael Garrison, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said winds for Sumter County were expected to blow toward a south or southeast direction between 1 and 3 mph.

Strong winds are notorious for spreading large fires, such as those that have been raging for weeks in south Georgia and northern Florida. On May 15, it was reported that strong winds had carried those fires into southern Alabama.

Alabama is at the same drought index level as Georgia and Florida. The massive wildfires there have charred more than 600 miles and claimed at least six homes, Vansant said.

The entire state is under a fire alert that will remain in effect until it rains enough to eliminate the danger, the forestry commission announced last week.

Monday’s fire in Sumter County is the largest Alabama has seen so far this year, said Stephen May, fire director of the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Last week he said the entire Southeastern U.S. is under a “serious drought situation," with Alabama experiencing between 15 and 20 forest fires a day. Until now, the fires have encompassed between 300 and 500 acres, with 20 of these blazes occurring between May 11 and 13.

Rainfall in most of West Alabama since January is more than 15 inches below normal.

<p>State firefighters battled for almost four hours Monday to contain a forest fire that raged across hundreds of acres in Sumter County, the Alabama Forestry Commission said.</p><p>Coleen Vansant, spokeswoman for the agency, said the fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. Monday and within an hour had spread to at least 400 acres. Officials are still investigating the possible cause.</p><p>As of 2:45 p.m., it had grown to encompass an estimated 600 acres between the town of York and the Boyd community along Alabama Highway 17.</p><p>We do know that, at the time, it was not threatening any structures," Vansant said. Evidently the fire had been burning for a while but we weren’t notified until later in the day."</p><p>Seven of the forestry commission’s bulldozers were dispatched from Hale, Sumter, Pickens, Greene and Choctaw counties and had contained the blaze with a firebreak by 5 p.m., Vansant said.</p><p>The fire was expected to burn throughout the night, with forestry commission teams monitoring the firebreaks to ensure the fire does not spread. Firefighters intended to allow the fire to burn itself out.</p><p>Officials are concerned, however, with the land’s dry conditions, which could allow the fire to spread underground and circumvent the firebreaks.</p><p>The ground is so dry that it will get in a root system, burn the roots underground and come up on the other side of the fire break," Vansant said.</p><p>She also said drivers need to look for hazardous traffic conditions caused by smoke blowing across Highway 17 and Interstate 20/59 near the Alabama/Mississippi state line.</p><p>A fire that size is going to put up a lot of smoke, especially as dry as it is," she said.</p><p>Highway 17 in Sumter County had not been closed by 5 p.m., but it was unclear whether traffic was being diverted onto any surrounding roads. Sheriff Johnny L. Hatter was not in the office and no one else in the department was authorized to give information.</p><p>Alabama State Troopers are monitoring the situation along the interstate and will begin traffic control measures should the smoke become too thick, state officials said.</p><p>No rain is expected in West Alabama anytime soon, but a light wind was predicted until at least Tuesday night, which could help fire fighters in their efforts to suppress the fire.</p><p>Michael Garrison, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said winds for Sumter County were expected to blow toward a south or southeast direction between 1 and 3 mph.</p><p>Strong winds are notorious for spreading large fires, such as those that have been raging for weeks in south Georgia and northern Florida. On May 15, it was reported that strong winds had carried those fires into southern Alabama.</p><p>Alabama is at the same drought index level as Georgia and Florida. The massive wildfires there have charred more than 600 miles and claimed at least six homes, Vansant said.</p><p>The entire state is under a fire alert that will remain in effect until it rains enough to eliminate the danger, the forestry commission announced last week.</p><p>Monday’s fire in Sumter County is the largest Alabama has seen so far this year, said Stephen May, fire director of the Alabama Forestry Commission.</p><p>Last week he said the entire Southeastern U.S. is under a serious drought situation," with Alabama experiencing between 15 and 20 forest fires a day. Until now, the fires have encompassed between 300 and 500 acres, with 20 of these blazes occurring between May 11 and 13.</p><p>Rainfall in most of West Alabama since January is more than 15 inches below normal.</p><p>Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.</p>